Wild chimpanzees teach youngsters by handing them toolsWed, 16 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000 Adult chimpanzees have been observed passing tools to their younger relatives, helping them learn the skills needed for fishing for ants or algae | |
The Parthenon’s architectural illusions are a mythTue, 15 Sep 2026 23:01:00 +0000 Optical illusions thought to have influenced the design of the Parthenon in ancient Greece are not backed up by evidence or are too small to have an effect | |
We may finally have a way to rate a quantum computer’s usefulnessTue, 15 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Determining how useful different quantum computers are has been a long running challenge – now researchers appear to have the answer | |
Roman roads weren’t so straight after allTue, 15 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Detailed data on the Roman Empire’s entire road network is offering fresh insight into how Romans built their infrastructure and how it influenced the future geography of Europe | |
How better ways of screening drugs could soon lead to thousands fewer animal testsTue, 15 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Scientists can now get more accurate safety data by testing drugs on organ-on-a-chip devices and organoids, meaning that there's increasingly less need to harm animals | |
LSD could be approved for anxiety in the US in 2027Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 The psychedelic drug LSD eased anxiety in a late-stage trial, paving the way for a probable approval in the US within the next two years | |
A new biography of Stephen Hawking gets to grips with a complicated manTue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Graham Farmelo has written the first authorised biography of the famous physicist. He should be applauded for digging into various controversies – but could have gone further, says Jacob Aron | |
How I made a slime mould the protagonist of my new sci-fi novelTue, 15 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 How do you get the science right in a sci-fi book? Columnist Annalee Newitz started by asking many kinds of researchers lots of very strange questions – and ended up in love with slime moulds | |
One of the fundamental forces is stronger than we thoughtTue, 15 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 The most precise calculation yet of the electroweak force could help fix cracks in the standard model of particle physics | |
Reading for pleasure boosts memory, empathy and mental healthMon, 14 Sep 2026 23:01:00 +0000 Fewer people are reading for pleasure, but getting lost in a good book has repeatedly been linked to substantial cognitive benefits | |